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Former pitcher Castillo drowns near home

Former pitcher Castillo drowns near home

7/29/13: Don Orsillo recalls the lives and careers of former Red Sox pitcher Frank Castillo and slugger George Scott

By Paul Casella
/
MLB.com |

Former Major League pitcher Frank Castillo died in a drowning accident near his Arizona home on Sunday, his family has confirmed to KVIA. He was 44.

Castillo, who spent the majority of his 13-year career with the Cubs, was reportedly on a pontoon boat on Bartlett Lake with a friend when he decided to go swimming and failed to re-emerge from underwater.

"It is impossible to express in words the level of sadness we feel due to this tragedy," the Castillo family said in a statement released to KVIA. "All of those who counted Frank as a personal friend, and to all those wonderful fans who cheered for him during his Major League career, we genuinely appreciate your prayers and kind words during this extremely difficult time."

Castillo, a sixth-round pick by the Cubs in 1987, made his Major League debut in 1991, and he spent his first seven seasons with Chicago. He tallied a 47-62 record to go along with a 4.29 ERA during that time before spending the second half of his career with the Rockies, Tigers, Blue Jays, Red Sox and Marlins.

He finished his big league career with 82 wins and a 4.56 lifetime ERA.

Paul Casella is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @paul_casella. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.